Starfish
by roguehobbit
Summary: One-shot. This takes place a couple years before Last Exile begins, and before Delphine rules the Guild. However, she’s going to remedy that...


One-shot

Starfish

Rated PG

Angst/Drama

Summery: One-shot. This takes place a couple years before Last Exile begins, and before Delphine rules the Guild. However, she's going to remedy that...

Author's note: As it states in the summery, this takes place before the anime begins. Perhaps two or three years before. Dio is either _around_ 14 or 17 at this time (depending on what you go by, the dub or the original). Not that it matters….just in case anyone was wondering.

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Dio never knew his mother. She died long before she would have given attention to him, and so he had no memories of her. He did seem to recall what must have been a nursemaid, but her face and name had long become obscured in his memory.

He rarely saw his father, until recently. His father had become weak over the last seven years, and hardly ever left his inner sanctum. All the ruling of the Guild took place from within his bedroom, the throne room abandoned. This was not common knowledge to anyone outside of his attendants and advisors. And his two children.

The Maestro refused to believe he was dying. "It will pass," was his firm conviction. And though it had not passed, he had not died yet either.

Lately he would order Dio and Delphine to come before him, and he would look at them and frown, his thoughts unsaid. He then would ask them about their studies, and activities. Today they had been summoned, just a month since their last meeting.

Delphine told him about her interest in horticulture, particularly genetically engineered blood red roses. "I'll give you some soon Maestro, as soon as those worthy of your station are grown."

He smiled and looked at Dio. Dio told him about his love of flying, and game strategy. The Maestro raised his eyebrow. "We shall play chess sometime soon."

Dio bowed his head in acknowledgment, wondering what would happen when he won.

Their father soon grew tired of their presence and dismissed them.

Delphine and Dio walked out of their father's inner suite. Several attendants and lower ranking Guilders were waiting outside. Lucciola promptly reached Dio's side, as he quicky made for the nearest door that led out of his father's chambers.

"Dio," Delphine said.

Dio paused, and without turning around answered "Yes, Delphine?"

A slight splash of water could be heard. Dio turned around cautiously.

Delphine had reached into one of the many looking pools that graced the Guild's floating palace. She withdrew her left hand, now holding a five-pronged creature.

"Did you know a starfish won't die if it loses an appendage?"

"No, I didn't know that Delphine." Dio said, watching his sister as she traced one of the ridges on the animal's back with her fingernail.

Suddenly Delphine's right hand grabbed one of the starfish's legs, and viciously ripped at it. Dio shuddered. Lucciola watched impassively.

Delphine cocked her head to one side and stared at the severed extremity. She then tilted her hand, and the limb slid off of it, falling back into the water with a soft plop. "It is a wonderful creature, one that we have modeled our ships after."

The starfish was having slight spasms, and Dio stared with morbid fascination.

"A starfish will grow another member, and in time will be as good as new. And perhaps even better." Delphine's eyes slid in Dio's direction, watching him as she said this.

Dio's gaze lifted from the twitching animal to his sister's face.

"After all, a _new_ appendage is always better then an _old, sickly_, one." Delphine's eyes raked the assembled noble men. Several dropped their gaze and looked at the floor. The others nodded their heads, and knowing looks were darted at each other.

Lucciola never took his eyes of Dio, as the lord began to tremble.

Delphine dropped the starfish onto the ground, onto the edge of the pool. She then turned back to her brother. "Don't you think so dear Dio?"

Dio turned and started to walk away but Delphine reached out and took hold of his arm. Her nails dug into his flesh, through the material of his cloths. She giggled. "Didn't you hear me Dio? It's rude to walk away when someone is talking to you."

"You are right, as always dear sister." Dio responded docilely, staring at the floor.

She let go of his arm, and lifted her hand to his face, briefly stroking his cheek. Dio managed not to flinch.

Delphine smiled, "I'm going to go take a look at my roses." She then turned away, and glided out of the outer room. Many of the noblemen who had nodded followed her immediately.

After all the attendants and other noblemen had left, Dio started walking briskly back to his father's inner chamber.

"Lord Dio? Where are you going?" Lucciola questioned, falling into step right behind him.

"I'm going to visit my father, Lucciola."

A pause, then a whisper. "To say goodbye."

The starfish gave one last shudder, and was still.

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I hope you, dear reader, caught all the nuances of this. Lol, because if you didn't then it must have seemed a really random sort of fic.

I wrote this story because the starfish scene popped into my head and wouldn't leave me alone. So, this fic was written just because of that scene. So that's why the very beginning might seem like it doesn't fit. Heh.

Please review. :)


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